Celebrations as Nottinghamshire’s Best Pubs, Bars and Clubs Announced

The winners of Nottinghamshire Best Bar None were announced at an exclusive awards evening, held at the Village Hotel in Chilwell on Monday 26 October. All of the venues eligible for an award had been through a rigorous assessment process of their operating policies and procedures to prove that they are worthy of being Nottinghamshire Best Bar None accredited. Nottinghamshire’s residents and visitors were asked to vote for their favourite places to visit in the county from those that had made the mark, and nearly 3,500 votes were cast. The winners of the public vote were:

• Best Village Pub – The Lion, Farnsfield
• Gamestec Leisure Best Suburban Independent Venue – The Junction, Sutton in Ashfield
• Best Suburban Chain Venue – The Bold Forester, Mansfield
• NET Best Town Centre Independent Venue – andwhynot, Mansfield
• Diageo Best Town Centre Chain Venue – The Stag and Pheasant, Mansfield
• Fraser Brown Solicitors Best Late Night Venue – The Late Lounge, Mansfield

A panel of independent judges with expertise in the field of licensing also chose a winner within each council borough, based on the strength of their assessments. The judges were Robert Humphreys MBE, chairman of the national Best Bar None and PASS card schemes; Angela Rawson, Head of Licensing at Nottingham City Council and Michael Kheng, Director of Kurnia Licensing Consultants. The winners are:

• Ashfield – Half Moon, Hucknall
• Bassetlaw – The Ashley Hotel, Worksop
• Broxtowe – The Sherwin Arms, Bramcote
• Gedling – The Ernehale, Arnold
• Mansfield – Rush Late Bar, Mansfield
• Newark & Sherwood – The Grove Inn, Newark
• Rushcliffe – The Country Cottage Hotel, Ruddington

The overall winner of Nottinghamshire’s County-wide Best Bar None scheme for 2015 was chosen from the borough winners, and The Ashley Hotel, Worksop was selected for this accolade. Best Bar None is a national scheme, supported by the Home Office, which is tailored to suit each area in which it is run. There are currently over 70 individual schemes across the country. Due to the way Best Bar None encourages licensees to continually improve their standards of operation, some areas that operate schemes have shown impressive reductions in alcohol-related crime and disorder. The scheme in Nottinghamshire is the country’s first county-wide scheme. It has been funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for three years, with the first two years also being co-funded by Nottinghamshire County Council. PCC Paddy Tipping said: “Licensed venues play a significant role in our local economies and I want people to enjoy themselves and have a great night out, but it’s important that alcohol is both sold and consumed as safely as possible. Best Bar None, in encouraging licensees to act responsibly and take pride in their premises, makes it a win-win situation as local people and visitors benefit from well-run and, most importantly, safe pubs, clubs and bars to visit, encouraging increased custom.” Councillor Glynn Gilfoyle, Chairman of Community Safety Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Many pubs and clubs across the county do some fantastic work to ensure they are providing a safe, enjoyable and well-managed environment for their customers. Best Bar None is a nationally recognised scheme which gives us the opportunity to recognise that fantastic work, whilst reassuring customers that they are in the best possible hands when they go out to enjoy themselves.” This year it has also been sponsored by NET, Diageo GB, Fraser Brown Solicitors, Gamestec Leisure, Stewart’s Coffee, the Village Hotel Nottingham, and the Beeston BID. More information on the scheme, as well as the award winners and all the accredited venues, can be found at www.nottinghamshirebbn.com. ENDS Photograph shows (l-r): Jo Blakemore (Landlord, The Ashley Hotel), Charles Blakemore (Landlord, The Ashley Hotel), Paddy Tipping (Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire).